Unitary portable photographic illumination source



Jan. 6, 1953 E. R. FARBER 2,624,831

UNITARY PORTABLE PHOTOGRAPHIC ILLUMINATION SOURCE Filed :Iune 28, 1949 2SHEETSSHEET 1 E0 wmeo 1?. F4: 5E2

Arraelvsvi I Jan. 6, 1953 E. R. FARBER 2,624,831

UNITARY PORTABLE PHOTOGRAPHIC ILLUMINATION SOURCE Filed June 28, 1949 2SHEETSSHEET 2 6 INVENTOR.

E o wmeo 2. FA: else AJZQMMM ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 6, 1953 OFFICEUNITARY PORTABLE PHOTOGRAPHIC ILLUMINATION SOURCE Edward R. Farber,Milwaukee, Wis.

Application June 28, 1949, Serial No. 101,862

4 Claims.

This invention relates to unitary portable photographic illuminationsources.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide in one unitary andreadily portable package a'brilliant-fiash sourceof photographicillumination, a modelling light, a power pack for the operation of suchsource, and a photo-operable relay for rendering such source operable,whereby a plurality of like :units may be substantially simultaneouslyoperated from a master unit without connecting cables of any type.

Further objects of the invention have to do with a compact, simple andreadily portable organization of the components of the portable packageas above described and these obiectives will be more fully understoodfrom anaylsis of the following disclosure of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a view in axial section through a package embodying theinvention.

Fig. 2 is a. view in rear elevation of the shell or casing of the deviceshown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front three-quarter view in perspective of the device shownin Figs. 1 and 2, portions thereof being disassembled to expose theinterior construction.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view in perspective showing, by way ofexemplification, the manner in which units of the type herein disclosedare adapted to be employed.

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective showing the frame on which thecomponents of the organization are desirably assembled for use, some ofsuch components being illustrated in dotted lines on the frame.

Fig. 6 is a wiring diagram exemplifying one embodiment of the invention.

.In the preferred embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, themounting yoke 1 is socketed at .8 to receive any desired type ofmounting fixture. Fig. 4 shows a number of such yokes mounted on theceiling; another is mounted on the low stand 9, and the adjustable tallstand 10 is adapted to support another.

Swiveled on the mounting yoke is a casing or shell within which is fixedthe frame I6 which is shown in perspective in Fig. 5, such frameincluding the horizontal plate I! and an upright plate 18. Mounted toproject forwardly from the upright plate 18 is a duplex socket IQ forthe flash tube 20' and the modelling light 2i. The coupling collar 22(Figs. 1 and 3) has an internal sleeve at 23 telescopically adjustablefrictionally on the socket l9 and its outer periphery is turned inwardlyto provide an outer sleeve at 24 frictionally fitted telescopioa'lly'onthe casing or shell I 5. The telescopic adjustment of collar 22respecting shell l5 enables the operator to move the reflector 25axiallyof flash tube 20 and modelling light 2| for the focusing of theselights. It will be observed in Fig. 1 that a considerable range oftelescopic movement is possible. This collar carries a reflector 25 forthe lamps 20 and M, the whole organization of the shell 15, couplingcollar 22, reflector 25 and the lamps therein being unitarilyoscillatable upon the trunnins 26 which carry the shell from themounting yoke 1.

Upon the rear endof the shell orcasing l5 there is an electricalconnector plug 28 to which any extension cord may be coupled to supply120 volt A.-C. current. By means of the switch 29, current from thissource may be supplied to the modelling light 2 I. Current may besupplied as desired through the fuse 30 and another switch at 3| to theprimary of the transformer 32 and to the pilot light 33.

From the secondary of transformer 32, current is supplied to power therest of the apparatus. Particulars of the preferred embodiment will bedisclosed, but it will be understood that these-are by way ofexemplification only, since those skilled in the art can make manychanges within the spirit of the invention. The rectifier used in thisparticular embodiment is an 879 tube shown at 34 which delivers 2250volts D. 0. through conductor 35, which leads to one terminal of theflash tube 20, the other terminal of such tube being connected to theground conductor 36 which returns to the transformer secondary. Shuntedacross the tube is a high capacity condenser. I may use two condensers38, each of 14 mf., connected in parallel to function as one condenserof 28 mi. capacity. These may be shunted by a high resistance of 8.2megohms. When charged, these condensers may be made by a trigger tube todischarge through the flash tube 20.

Also shunted between the high tension line 35 and the ground line 36 isavoltage dividing system which includes in series'connecticn a resistor39 of 8.2 megohms and a resistor 40 of 75 'megohms. From the conductor41 between these resistors is tapped a conductor 42 leading to oneterminal of a condenser 43 .of 1 mf. capacity. This is connected to theprimary of a spark coil transformer 44, the secondary of which isconnected between the plate 45 and the ground line 36, the primary alsobeing connected to the ground line.

The line 42 also ccnnegtsto one plate 45 of-a tube 460 which may beefthe type vknownas OA4G. Another plate 41 of such tube is connected tothe ground line 36. The grid 48 of such tube is connected through a onemegohm resistor 49 to a photo-tube 50 and to a pair of additionalsockets 52, whereby additional phototubes may be used for specialpurposes. While the device is intended to function in a single unitarypackage without coupling wires, it may be that the built-in photo-tubewill be shadowed so that it will fail to function in response to a flashfrom a predetermined point. In that event, one of more additional tubesmay be coupled into the circuit in parallel with tube 50 as shown in thewiring diagram and these may be so located that they will pick up theflash from whatever direction it comes. In addition to the connection tothe photo-tube 50 as above described, the grid 43 of the trigger tube isconnected to the moving contact 53 of a tube having potentiometerresistance 54 which is in series with a 2 megohm resistance 55 and an8.2 megohm resistance 56 between line 42 and ground line 36.

The mechanical organization of these components is such that theforwardly projecting platforms 5! and 58 of the normally horizontalplate I! of the frame l6 carries tubes 34 and 460 at opposite sides ofthe socket I 9 carried by the normally upright portion I8 of the frame,the latter preferably being channeled as best shown in Fig. 5. At therear of plate I! are carried the condenser 38. Beneath plate I i is thetransformer 32.

At the bottom end of the channel plate i8 is the potentiometer 54 whileat the top of such plate the spark coil 44 is mounted above the socketl9. Condenser 43 is mounted on one of the wings of the bed plate I! atthe end of one of the condensers 38. The positions of the variousresistors are not shown because, these b'= ing small, they are readilyaccommodated beneath the bed plate and behind the upright channel platel8 near the sockets for the respective tubes.

The frame I5 comprising bed plate I! and upright I8 is fixed within theshell 15, the bed plate having a downwardly turned flange 59 (Fig. 5)held by screws 60 (Fig. 2) to the rear of the shell, while the uprightchannel l8 has integral tabs 6| (Figs. 3 and 5) held by screws 62 to theperiphery of the shell. Thus, the entire organization including thesource of power, the wiring, the flash tube and the triggering andfiring means are all so organized with the reflector as to swivelunitarily to be directed downwardly, upwardly or horizontally as shownin the various positions in which the unit is illustrated in Fig. 4.

Since the modelling light and the flash tube are coaxial, thephotographer can compose his lighting system intelligently to directlight from any desired point upon his subject.

While, in the illustrated embodiment, each unit requires an ordinaryextension cord from an electrical convenience outlet, it will beunderstood that no electrical connections from one unit to another areneeded, each of the several units being discharged to produce abrilliant flash automatically when any other unit is made to flashwithin the range of photo-electric cells which trigger the slave units.

The absence of connecting cords and the compactness and portability ofthe unit shown greatly assist the photographer by making it possible forhim to place his units as desired without taking connecting wiring intoconsideration They also relieve the untidiness of photographic studioswhich have heretofore used this type of flash illumination. It will beunderstood that I am referring not only to the elimination of wiringfrom one unit to another, but particularly to the elimination of wiringfrom power packs to the mounted flash tubes, which wiring has been evenmore objectionable and annoying than wiring from one unit to another,both type of wiring being eliminated in the preferred embodiment of myinvention as herein disclosed.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a shellhaving a side wall and one substantially closed end and one open end, aframe fixed within the shell, a lamp mounting projecting from the openend of the shell, electronic tube mountings at opposite sides of thelamp mounting and carried by said frame, a power pack including astorage condenser mounted on the frame and a transformer mounted on theframe and a flash tube disposed in said mounting and resistances andwiring all disposed within the shell as a self-contained portable unitand in operative connection with said lamp mounting for the storage ofenergy in said condenser and the discharge thereof to said lampmounting.

2. The combination with a mounting yoke provided with transverselyaligned trunnions, of a shell pivoted upon said trunnions to said yokeand comprising a side wall, and a substantially closed end, one end ofsaid shell being open, a frame fixed within the shell and comprising abed plate, a transformer suspended beneath the bed plate within theshell, condensers and electronic tube sockets mounted on said bed platewithin the shell, the said sockets being at the open end thereof,complete power pack wiring and resistances housed Within the shellencompassing a unitarily portable package with said sockets andcondensers, a flash-tube mounted at the open end of the shell andoperatively connected through said power pack wiring to one of saidcondensers to be energized thereby, said power pack including triggeringmeans for controlling such energization, and a reflector for said flashtube mechanically connected with said shell adjacent its open end inoperative encirclement respecting the flash tube and to constitute apart of said unitary package.

3. The device of claim 2 in which the reflector is provided with acollar telescopically adjutable upon said shell for the focusing of thereflector.

4. A self-contained portable unit for flash-tube illumination, said unitcomprising in combination a shell having a side wall and an aperturedrear wall and an end, a photo-electric tube having a portion exposedthrough the apertured rear wall of the shell to receive external light,a reflector connected with the shell at the end thereof opposite theapertured end, means for mounting a flash-tube within the reflector, anda power pack including a transformer, a rectifying tube, condensermeans, a trigger tube, resistors and circuit connections all housedwithin said shell and between the reflector and the apertured end of theshell for compact unitary handling with said shell and reflector and thephotocontrolled triggering of condenser discharge to said mounting forthe energization of the tube carried therein. said reflector beingprovided with mounting connections constituting ,an extension of saidshell whereby to cooperate with said shell in housing said power packand said tube.

EDWARD R. FARBER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Sagendorph Apr. 4, 1911 Number 6Name Date Hitner Nov. 1, 1938 Grier Feb. 15, 1944 Hollister et a1. Mar.'7, 1944 Edgerton Sept. 26, 1944 Edgerton Oct. 8, 1946 Bjontegard Nov.22, 1949 Finkelstein May 16, 1950

